Ella Juffer

Hills, MN Ella Juffer, 88 of Hills, MN died Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at Firesteel Health Care Center in Mitchell, SD. Funeral service will be 2:00 PM, Friday, April 1st at United Reformed Church in Hills, MN, with Rev. Douglas Barns officiating. Burial will follow at the United Reformed Cemetery in Hills. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills is in charge of services. Ella (VanderWerff) Juffer was born on September 26, 1922 in Hull IA. She was the fifth of 10 children born to William and Theodora (Rodenburgh) VanderWerff. She grew up around Hull helping on the farm and doing odd jobs for area people while attending school through the 8th grade. On January 20, 1944 she married Albert Juffer. After World War II they moved to Hills, MN. Their son, Gene, was born in 1953. They adopted a daughter, Debra, in 1966. Ella worked at various odd jobs until she began working for the postal system, first as a clerk in the Hills office and later as the rural mail carrier in the Steen, MN office. In the early 1960s she partnered with her husband in founding Midwest Steel Spiral Binding Co. During all this time she was known to fix hair for almost every woman in the area. With her spare time she was extremely active in her church and the Hills Christian School. She did volunteer work at the Tuff Memorial Nursing Home. She loved gardening and was known to always be doing something constructive; in her leisure time she loved to crochet. She crocheted an unknown number of blankets for anyone and everyone, always with the proceeds going to the Christian School in Hills. Many of those blankets were gifts for family. As a memorial to Ella, if you received any of her crocheted blankets, the family requests you to photograph the blanket, write who it was for, when it was received, and for what purpose it was made (i.e. birth of baby, Church sale, etc.), and bring the picture to her funeral. If you are unable to attend the funeral, please mail the photograph to Gene Juffer, 25823 409th Ave., Mitchell, SD 57301, or email it to email address: genesphoto@santel.net. In lieu of flowers all cash memorials will be given to the Hills Christian School and United Reformed Church. Ella is survived by her son Gene and wife Audrey of Mitchell, SD; one brother, John VanderWerff and wife Delores of Sanborn; six sisters, Tena Pollerna of Hull, Grace Hartog of Sanborn, Wilma DeWild, Theodora Lockhorst and husband Pete, Esther Rozeboom and husband Dick and Roberta Boogerd and husband Jim all of Hull; sisters-in-law Gertrude and Stephina VanderWerff; grandchildren Nicole Gerlach and husband Scott of Mitchell, Kim Olson and husband Ryan of Onida, SD, Brad Juffer and wife Bridget of Madison, WI, Amber DeSmet and husband Luke of Sioux City, IA; great grandchildren Jordan and Amelia Gerlach, Olivia, Jonas, and Lincoln Olson, and Nolan Juffer; along with many nieces and nephews. Ella was preceded in death by her husband Albert Juffer, her parents, and two brothers, William and Cornie VanderWerff.